Travel Occupational Therapy

[babycheeks]

I would like to travel when I graduate. I'm curious how hard is it to get a travel assignment as a new grad? What is the typical pay for 13 week assignments? Any other information you want to share about Travel OT would be helpful too!

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[OTforMe]

I'm still in school. However, I met a guy who did traveling OT at the AOTA conference this year. His advice was don't do it!

Traveling OT agencies send you places nobody else wants to go. While they pay you a lot, they are also paying a lot for you to be there. The guy told me he was expected to see more patients everyday than everyone else; when he tried to give a client to another OT his supervisor yelled at him.

As a new student, I would not want to start my career as a traveling OT. While the AOTA has rules for supervision for traveling OTs, sometimes these rules aren't followed. You may be the only OT in the clinic and you may only be supervised via phone once every 2 weeks! Bottom line: you make a lot of money in traveling OT, but they don't want to train you since you aren't sticking around anyway. It can be shady. Watch out for yourself!

 

[OTforMe]

P.S. I meant that while you get paid a lot to do traveling OT, the places you're going to are paying a lot to have you there (usually they pay the agency more than what the permanent OTs make).

Sorry if this was confusing.

 

[quraish]

I am graduating in december and I won't travel. I think its more important to have some stability, solid mentoring, and support. Work for a year or PRN for a couple months then travel. Get some experience first. I am always wary when recruiters offer 90k to a new grad and say call 24/7.